Michigan kids

Michigan Kids is a series of solutions-focused stories and profiles about the programs and people that are positively impacting the lives of children. The series is produced by Michigan Nightlight and is made possible with funding from the W.K. Kellogg Foundation.

Why is the infant mortality rate for black babies higher than those of white babies in Kalamazoo? Grace Lubwama, the new chief executive officer at Kalamazoo's YWCA will be working on bringing those numbers down.

If you were writing the book of a child's life wouldn't you like it to have a happy ending? Every day more children are signing up for a Kalamazoo Public Library program intended to give them a life that includes loving the reading of books.

The 2013 national Kids Count data book reports Michigan ranking 31 out of 50 in child well-being. With this shaky foundation, Michigan has some serious work to do in improving child health and wellness outcomes.

Zinta Aistars has the story of how a blighted city lot became a place where children can play soccer, creating a place for them to stay busy rather than get into trouble. It's called the Franklin Project and it's about workers in the surrounding neighborhood who decided to make a difference.

Can young people who are poised to get adult criminal records turn their lives around? A group of dedicated people in Kalamazoo (including the Kinetic Affect duo) led by Judge Anne Blatchford is trying to help them turn that corner. Zinta Aistars has the story on how it works.

What happens when a school turns a laser like focus on reading? Parents at Verona Elementary say their children are reading all the time, even when they don't have to. Jane Parikh has the story on how one school is turning things around before the all-critical third grade.

Once you've learned how to fix a bike what else can you fix? For young people in Kalamazoo Open Roads teaches the skills to find out. Ethan Alexander talks with Zinta Aistars about the program that capitalizes on his love for bikes.

Dale Anderson wanted to help kids by teaching them building trades skills. He ended up teaching them how to make truffles. Zinta Aistars has the story on how he made that leap with them at Confections with Convictions.

Petting reptiles and learning about amphibians too--it’s all in a day for Knee-High Naturalists. Margaret DeRitter reports on the program that draws kids from across the region to Binder Park Zoo for an up-close visit with nature.